Photo: FAO/Chris Davis. Retrieved from fao.org

Except from fao.org

In a small island nation on the eastern edge of the Caribbean, there is a species of wild sea moss, or red algae, called Gracilaria that Dominicans have traditionally farmed and used to make drinks, gels and other products such as textile dyes.

Gracilaria, like other sea moss varieties, has a lot of dietary and cosmetic advantages. But this slow-growing variety has caused production and supply challenges for its farmers, leading to a reliance on imports of other varieties from neighbouring islands to meet local demand.

Farming sea moss is an intricate process that involves harvesting the algae, cleaning off foreign weeds and debris, bleaching and drying the harvested algae in the sunlight, before packaging the dried raw material for sale.

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Despite these difficulties, many farmers refused to give up on sea moss.

A solution to the problem came in the form of Eucheuma cottonii, a commercial sea moss species first introduced to the region many decades ago. This species was offered up as part of a Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) project focused on strengthening livelihoods, supporting sustainable development and building resilient agrifood value chains.